Even though the Apple Watch has created a lot of positive buzz for Apple, that doesn't change the fact that not even Cupertino knows when it'll launch the product. This poises a great opportunity for all smartwatch competitors in order to step their game up, and a perfect time to innovate based on what we already see in Android Wear and the Pebble as well. Microsoft is one of those companies that's been rumored to launch a smartwatch for the longest time, and today we get some more information. Credible sources claim that Microsoft is already in advanced stages to be able to announce a ...

How often do you use your digital assistant every day? Some may think that Siri, Cortana and Google Now are just gimmicks, but according to some recent studies, that highly depends on how old you are. If you're wondering how different usage patterns are when it comes to voice search, it seems Google asked itself the same question, and the answers are not shockers at all. According to a new study commission by Google, 55% of users under 18 will use any voice search service, be it Google Now, Siri or Cortana, more than once a day in comparison to 41% of grownups. This number grows to a ...

The debate of which voice assistant came first is still a shady topic. While many agree that Siri was the service that made the idea mainstream, we do know that Google's Voice Search has existed for a bit longer, and even though Microsoft's Cortana is the newest in the crowd, we all remember Microsoft's Voice Command from the Pocket PC days. Still, if you leave history aside and ask yourself which service is currently better, some experts claim to have a winner. A marketing consulting firm by the name of Stone Temple claims to have found Google Now's voice search to be significantly ...

Microsoft has been doing some interesting moves to extend the cross-platform support of its existing services. We've seen how the company has brought Office Mobile to iOS, and to Android to some extent as well. We've also seen a lot of Microsoft Research gain a lot of popularity for its new projects recently, and today we see more of it. Microsoft has just announced XIM, a new cross-platform photo sharing service, that's actually more than what it sounds. At first we thought this was just another SnapChat competitor, but it turns out to be something unique. It allows you to share photos ...

Microsoft's Cortana may have been late to the party as far as voice assistants go, but you can't deny the effort the company has put into making its product better. One of the best parts of how Cortana is built is that it can be updated from Microsoft's servers, which means a full Windows Phone update isn't necessary to get a couple enhancements for Cortana. The latest batch of enhancements have been thrown together into a server-side Cortana update, and Microsoft is now explaining to us what exactly is new. First of all, Cortana will now give NFL predictions. The answers provided by the ...

That title calls for a disclaimer. As anyone who's looked at my Twitter profile knows, I’m not just a Windows phone user; I use Android too, and I occasionally sprinkle in BlackBerry and Sailfish when I'm feeling sporty. But I spend a little less than half my waking time with Windows software powering my communicator of choice, and my last 24 hours with iOS have given me a few insights about how these platforms differ – and how they don’t. From aesthetics to fluidity, Apple and Microsoft match up nicely. Both iOS and Windows Phone are tightly controlled software experiences that ...

Microsoft leaked recently that it would be dropping the Nokia branding from its products along with Windows Phone. Instead, we’d be treated with Lumia phones running Windows. This doesn’t really sound like a big deal on the face of it, but it’s worth mentioning that perhaps Microsoft is being a little hasty. Personally, I think both of these moves make perfect sense. Microsoft is not, in fact, Nokia. Nokia as a company still exists. They’re the one’s making Android launchers for…whatever reason. But it’s also the force behind Here Maps, which is pretty darn nice navigation ...

With Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia's handset division, a lot of changes are still to come. We've seen the continuous rumors of "Microsoft handset" where the Nokia branding is no longer available, and we do know that Microsoft is planning to shake its branding up a bit. Today we see the company making some additional changes that we were expecting to happen sooner or later. Nokia's Lumia update support portal was very famous for keeping customers informed on the timing for both major and small software updates. It was far better to access this portal, than to have to look back at ...

Microsoft hasn't necessarily had the best time with its developer community. The company that once had its CEO sing "developers, developers" repeatedly has struggled to find enthusiastic support for it smartphone and tablet platform. As such, we've seen a couple of desperate measures in order to gain a broader community, and most of these efforts have worked, but Microsoft is at it for more. Developers are reporting that Microsoft has removed the yearly subscription fee that they would have to pay to either submit, or keep applications in the Windows Phone Store. This is a great move for ...

One thing that's no secret is that Microsoft has struggled with its mobile platform for years. After being the market leader for years last decade, the company hasn't found the right approach to regain its popularity after the launch of competitors like Android and iOS. We do know that Microsoft wants its company to focus on "Mobile and Cloud first," and Microsoft's new CEO explains how he measures success. In a recent luncheon with Seattle's Chamber of Commerce, Nadella was approached about the direction that Microsoft is steering with all the recent changes. Seattle Chamber President and ...

It used to be that Verizon was the carrier that least cared about Windows Phone. AT&T always pioneered product launches, and remained the exclusive carrier of the operating system for months before other carriers joined, and even then, Verizon took ages to do so as well. Today Verizon is carrying the cream of the crop when it comes to Windows Phone by holding exclusivity over the Lumia Icon, HTC One M8 for Windows, and if you thought the list ended there, Verizon is at it for more. Big Red is reportedly picking up the Lumia 735 in the next few weeks. This is still not yet official, but ...

The Nokia Lumia 830 may or may not be "the affordable flagship," but that doesn't mean it hasn't captured the attention of Windows Phone fans across the globe. We're fairly sure some of said fans are based here in the US, and a subset of that group also uses AT&T. If you find yourself in that small group, you're in luck for sure – AT&T has just announced that it'll begin stocking the Nokia Lumia 830 this year. The 830 features specs like a 10MP PureView imaging unit, and integrated wireless charging. It ships with the latest version of Windows Phone, Lumia Denim (and we thought ...

While processors admittedly aren't the most interesting part of mobile devices these days – though many obsess over them – they are the brains behind the functioning of handsets, and thus a critical component of our smartphones. When it comes to low-end phones, one of the places cost-reducing measures are taken is the processor, with there routinely being a lack of LTE support and other such things at this kind of price point. So that's why the Qualcomm Snapdragon 210, announced just today, has piqued our interest: it brings LTE, in addition to a host of other features, to low-end ...

Though its use is primarily for selfies, as Microsoft would like you to think, is the Nokia Lumia 735 good for anything else? We explore the question – is the Nokia Lumia 735 a one-trick pony, or a multitasking maven? – by listing out a full Nokia Lumia 735 specs chart below. Chime in with your thoughts about the selfie phone below, watch our hands-on video of it on YouTube, and check out the rest of our IFA 2014 coverage here from Berlin. We also have Nokia Lumia 830 coverage available for your consumption, and we're not forgetting about the 730 of course. Nokia Lumia 735 specs ...

It's gone official, we've gone through its spec list, and we've compared it to its older sibling (the Lumia 930). Now its time for a second comparison, except this time to the king of all cameraphones: the Nokia Lumia 1020. Let's check out the differences in a full Nokia Lumia 830 vs Nokia Lumia 1020 spec battle down below. It's not a total kill like what happened when we compared the Lumia 830 to the Lumia 930, but that's probably because the Lumia 1020 is starting to show its age a bit. The Lumia 1020 has a screen with a higher pixel density, though it loses out when it comes to the ...

Now that the Nokia Lumia 830 is official as a supposed high-end smartphone for a low-end price, it's time to start comparing it to phones we already have recognized as true flagships in our full reviews. First up on our list of comparisons, the Lumia 930 / Icon, which we reviewed and called the best Windows Phones to date at the time. Now it's time to compare the battle-worn soldier to the new kid on the block, in Nokia Lumia 830 vs Nokia Lumia 930 / Icon. This result is disappointing, but most definitely an expected outcome. The Lumia 830 loses out in everything, so if you have the extra ...

It's supposedly one of the first affordable flagships, but is it really a flagship in the first place? We decided to tackle that question by rounding up a list of official specs for the Nokia Lumia 830, and looking at it under the lens to see how well this Windows Phone will theoretically perform. The answer, in our full Nokia Lumia 830 specs list below. IFA 2014 is certainly not over, so you can check out our continuing coverage of the Berlin trade show right over at this link. For more on the Nokia Lumia 830 (and trust us, there will be many more posts coming along), this link should ...

The "first affordable flagship" is here, the Lumia 830 from Microsoft. You can always check out what that flagship phone is about, but if you're a selfie kind of person -- and you haven't purchased the Sony Xperia C3, the Android "selfie phone" -- you will be interested in the Lumia 735 (and 730 dual SIM variant). Microsoft claims there are 50 billion selfies taken, so it's time to improve all of those, both in terms of framing, and quality of the stills. The way to achieve that is not only via hardware, but also with the help of special software; that's where the new Lumia Selfie app ...

It's just gone official. The "first affordable flagship," the Nokia Lumia 830, has been announced at IFA 2014 by Microsoft's Devices and Services group. The device features an impressive camera and pretty decent specs for quite the affordable price. It comes with Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft Office, OneDrive, Cortana, and more. Microsoft is up-playing the fact that Windows Phone 8.1 allows for much customization to the interface like with the new "Glance" lock screen. The camera has a 10MP sensor and Microsoft's thinnest optical image stabilization module to date. Microsoft claims that the ...

"OK Google" is the keyword that wakes up specific devices running Android from stand-by, hands-free, so you can be more productive. Well, "Hey Cortana" is the hot word that will activate Cortana on Windows Phone, once Nokia's Denim update, coming after the Cyan update. Users will no longer need to activate Cortana; with the new hot word detection, Cortana will be activated hands-free, getting ready to answer your questions. Additionally, Cortana will also become location aware, as it will get geofencing capabilities for location-aware reminders. However, Cortana is not the only enhancement ...

We've been crossing some very conflicting rumors with the Microsoft's Lumia 830. Some of us have speculated that the leaked photos that we've seen aren't of the Lumia 830 because of the 1020-style camera hump, and then there are other rumors that claim that there is a 20-megapixel sensor on this smartphone. Today we get some additional reports that claim that this is just a mid-tier phone in every way. Sources to WPDang are now saying that the Lumia 830 will only sport a 10 megapixel camera, and they also reinforce the previous claims that it sports a 720p display. Obviously these are ...

Windows Phone 8.1 has already proven to bring Microsoft's mobile operating system to the level it needed in order to compete with other platforms. The updates that were added with Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1 brought even more needed features, but it's clear that Microsoft is not done. If you were wondering what the company has in store for GDR2, rumors have just arrived on the topic. Reports claim that Windows Phone 8.1 GDR2 is going to bring support to 2K resolution on smartphone displays, and therefore providing support to new processors like the Snapdragon 805. Other hints claim that the ...

"What are your favorite Windows Phone apps?" is a question I never get asked on the internet, mainly because people are too busy asking me what my daily drivers are, despite the fact that it's all there in my Twitter profile. But it's an important question. Because even though I feel that you shouldn't carry a particular device just because I carry it, the question of which apps and services we opt to use is another story. To step back to 2008 for a second: apps are magical things. As we discovered on a recent episode of the Pocketnow Weekly podcast, almost all of us can remember ...

For Verizon customers, it's the Windows Phone question of the year: Lumia Icon or One M8 for Windows? Both phones offer premium builds and powerful internals, both run Windows Phone 8.1, and both have their own software goodies to try to captivate customers – but which is the better phone overall? We tackle that question in our HTC One M8 for Windows vs Nokia Lumia Icon comparison video down below. Talking hardware, neither of these phones are small. But what they both are is sturdy and solidly built, for whatever you take that to mean. The HTC feels a bit better in-hand, if only ...

Most will agree that Windows Phone 8.1 was more than just a minor point update. We even gave it a full review. It bore a ton of new and useful features which finally put Windows Phone on the map for many people. Cortana, for example, is a major win for the platform. Action Center is a no-brainer. And the Start page got some much-needed pizzaz. The Windows Phone 8.1 update has come and gone. Maybe it's just because I don't use Windows Phone regularly, or maybe it's just because the platform still needs a lot of work. But talk of Windows Phone 9 has already started, and many seem to believe ...